Chekhov's Fill-In-the-Blank

Years and years and years ago, I met another fantasy writer online.  We hit it off, enjoyed each other's stories, and exchanged many critiques and encouragements. I love the characters she has created, and the moral dilemmas she makes them face.  Then for some of those years, we lost touch, each of us taking care of Real Life.  Eventually we reconnected, caught up on all that we'd missed, and picked up the friendship right where we left off. 

That reconnection happened a mere couple days before I left for Viable Paradise last year.  And now I am incredibly happy for Sandy, because she will be at Viable Paradise this year!

Everything happens for a reason, yes?

I got a little silly with that idea in comments to this post by jazzfish, but it did get me thinking...     What if, instead of everything happening for a reason, we choose to create a good reason for the past that has happened?  How many perfectly useable pistols do we have hanging on our walls, and must we wait for Act V before firing them?  And which pistols do we hope to AllGood will be deemed red herrings instead?